1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment and more particularly to a device for assisting a person to stretch tissues in portions of the body.
2. Prior Art
It is well known that stretching muscles prior to engaging in exercise reduces the probability for injuring muscles during vigorous exercise thereof. Stretching also serves to maintain the elasticity of muscle-associated tissue such as tendons. Stretching aids are known in the art that are designed to improve the quality of stretching. Such devices are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,624,359 and 5,518,486. In operation, the prior art devices require that a portion of the device be grasped and held during the performance of a stretch. The force required to grasp the device limits both the time that the stretch may be sustained and prevents the user from relaxing during the stretch. The requirement for a user to grasp the device in order to effect operability in a stretching application is a serious limitation of the prior art devices. The grasping requirement limits the time that a person can comfortably sustain a stretch and thereby limits the effectiveness of the stretch. There remains a need for an inexpensive, portable device operable for assisting a person to stretch while relaxing wherein the device may be used to stretch a muscle or a muscle group without requiring the user to grasp the device or otherwise exert energy to contract muscles during the performance of a stretch.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a device operable for enabling a person to stretch selected muscles by assuming a relaxed stable position and without substantial expenditure of energy.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device operable for enabling a person to stretch selected muscles while in a relaxed position and wherein the device is portable and inexpensive.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a device operable for enabling a person to stretch selected muscles while in a sitting, lying or standing position.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a device meeting the above objectives that is made from a natural (non-synthetic) fiber such as hemp.
The above objectives are met by a flexible strap having a loop at each end and a plurality of loops spaced from one another therebetween. A suitable material for making the device is hemp webbing having a width of 1-2 inches. The strap is from 5-11 feet long and most preferably about 9 feet in length. The loops affixed to the strap have a diameter of about 10 inches and are spaced 5-15 inches from one another along the length of the strap. The loops may be spaced uniformly from one another along the length of the strap or the distance between loops may vary. The large loop diameter enables the user to insert an entire limb therewithin. In operation, appropriate loops are selected and positioned by the user to encircle those limbs participating in a stretch. After positioning the loops to engage the limbs, the user relaxes. The force of gravity on at least one of the engaged limbs exerts tension on the portion of the strap connecting the loops. Further relaxation of the body stretches one or more muscle groups.